Time for the week that was in Texas politics with Emily Ramshaw, editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune.
After a month spent working together to facilitate recovery from Hurricane Harvey, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, and Houston’s Democratic Mayor, Sylvester Turner, exchanged a few jabs this week. Turner is urging Abbott to use the state’s Rainy Day Fund for storm relief. Abbott says that won’t be necessary until the 2019 legislative session. In turn, Ramshaw says, Abbott accuses Turner of “holding Harvey recovery hostage.” Turner has proposed a temporary tax increase for Houston residents to pay for rebuilding.
“I think there’s gonna be a thaw here,” Ramshaw says. Abbott and Turner held a press conference Friday in Houston, during which the mayor called off his tax hike proposal, as the governor pledged $50 million to Houston.
The Trump administration has selected two Texans to fill vacancies on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Don Willett is a state Supreme Court justice. Jim Ho is a former Texas solicitor general.
“These are both big names in Texas legal circles,” Ramshaw says. “Many know Don Willett from his very active Twitter feed.”